If you're having pain and take a pain pill, addiction is not the problem.

If you do NOT have pain and take pain pills, that is addiction.

People tend to confuse addiction with tolerance. The two are very different. Tolerance occurs with a disease with increasing pain level (such as ARD). Tolerance happens when the duration of pain relief becomes shortened.

Most pain medications are effective until they're digested; and then they will last a short time after that.

A problem occurs when an ARD sufferer allows the level of pain medication within their system to drop to nothing. Then the ARD sufferer will need more in order to get relief.

If the pain is severe, it is best to follow the instructions regarding the time frame. By keeping the level of the pain medication up (and not allow it to drop down) to where it is helping to relieve pain, this can help to prevent the roller coaster effect. Most ARD sufferers know this ride.